"I've just finished checking out an American couple, Californians, on their honeymoon," Lydia Weber said with a smile. This year, from the Pigalle hotel in Paris, where she works, the young American was convinced her fellow countrymen were "more numerous in the French capital this summer." Paris remains "a beautiful destination on the road to Italy and Spain," she added. Other reasons include a healthy United States economy and a desire to return to everyday life after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"This year, we're seeing an increase in international arrivals, which is driving up visitor numbers," said Olivia Grégoire, the French minister of tourism, on Tuesday, August 29, describing "a very good tourist season, in line with the summer of 2022." According to her ministry, the trend, if confirmed, should enable France this year to "surpass" the €58 billion reached in 2022, with revenues of €64-67 billion, and host between 78 and 82 million international visitors, compared with 90 million in 2019.

Beyond North Americans (16% of air arrivals in July), Europeans were more numerous, especially the Dutch and Germans, while Asians slowly returned. "While China is still lagging, it has shown an accelerated recovery since the beginning of the summer," the ministry said, stressing a "solid performance" of Japan, South Korea, and India.

As for the French, they continued to "make vacations sacred," said Grégoire. National visitor numbers remained stable compared to last year. Nearly 7 out of 10 went away for a weekend or an extended stay, with 88% of French nationals staying in France. "There are still just as many people going away and choosing France as a destination," she said, even though inflation crept in everywhere, from restaurants and accommodation to gasoline stations and airports.

Faced with these "price hikes," holidaymakers have nonetheless had to "adjust their behavior:" Some escaped for "less time, for example, two weeks instead of three," while others resumed "their habit of booking in advance," as consulting firm MKG reported on August 23. These trends were confirmed on Tuesday by OpinionWay's latest survey for Atout France, ADN Tourisme, and 11 regional tourism committees, according to which 27% of French respondents said they had eaten less in restaurants.

"As long as customers feel they're in control of their budget, and as long as it's 'all-inclusive,' the formula works well," said Alexis Gardy, the president of Belambra Clubs, a leader in France's vacation club market who also noted "more caution" when it came to "bar budget" and extra activities.

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